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Back From Kathmandu

September 22, 10 15:50

It's 5am but I'm so jet-lagged that visiting the Lounge seemed like the best thing to do...an island of serenity in an otherwise stormy sea . Unfortunately, I had to abandoned my expedition in the Himalayas due to illness and have now returned safely home. Nevertheless, it was a trip of a lifetime and source of inspiration for years to come. My team has been stuck in camp for several days due to avalanche conditions that saw six Sherpas knocked senseless at around 8000m (no fatalities and only one medical evacuation, thankfully). The late monsoon has wrecked havoc with climbing conditions but my prayers are with them for a safe and successful result.

I hope to jump back into the forum after a few days of R&R, and trust that everyone is well. Namaste नमस्ते

was it pulmonary oedema that stopped you?
Low your expeditions
I'm just reading about one og the GREAT heroes HW Tilman ,
a hardcover of 1048 wonderful pages!
'The Eight Sailing/Mountain-Exploration Books (Mischief in Patagonia/Mischief Among the Penguins/Mischief in Greenland/Mostly Mischief/Mischief Goes ... With Everything/Triumph and Tribulation)' I guess you read it,
but IF not, please do it my friend.
He was already involved in two of the 1930s Mount Everest expeditions
and started sailing at 56 years of age, and kept on to 80!
I started at 12 and have kept on for 50 years now!
I always sails single handed as today, a bit chilly but still sun and beaufort 4-5
or 8-10 m/s, just perfect.
Here a shot of the boat steering at the horizon,
coffe in one hand and tiller in the other.
That's life!
two shots by my telephone...
Cheers
Doc

Some very devout buddhists make a pilgrimage to holy sites like the Potala Palace and, rather than walk clockwise around the site as everyone else does, they prostrate themselves and recite a mantra every few steps as they complete the circuit. The leather apron and wooden sliders for the hands prevent clothes and skin from wearing through!
I saw women doing a similar act at the Ta Shi Lhun Po monastary, however, they remained in one spot and repeatedly layed down on the stone floor to pray while their legs were bound together.

For the return trip, the weather at Hong Kong caused several hours delay for flights into and leaving the airport. On top of that, a plane managed to breakdown on one of the runways, diverting all in and outbound traffic to the single remaining strip, which added even more delays. So I spent 8 hours inside the airport watching the boards to keep track of my flight. Still, its one of the nicest, cleanest airports I've ever been in. And the watch shopping is amazing, with boutiques for IWC, Omega, Cartier, JLC, and many others...but no Vacheron Constantin .

Sad, but thankfully not tragic. Today the team made the difficult decision to leave the mountain without attempting the summit. For the second time, a group of Sherpas fixing lines up high were struck by an avalanche, leaving five slightly injured. Their ropes saved a fatal fall, but conditions appear certain for more dangerous snow slides.
I can taste their bitter disappointment, having endured weeks of oxygen-starvation and marginal living conditions, only to have the prize evaporate away . Still, my tent-mate Denis made the best comment; "it's just part of the beautiful uncertainty of mountaineering" .
I cannot express enough respect for the Sherpas that make Himalayan mountaineering possible. It was a highlight of the trip to have this picture taken with Mingma Sherpa, fifteen-time Everest summit veteran!